2018 Ford Escape

I was on my way to work on 2/4/2026 and all of a sudden the RPMs went up really high and wouldn’t accelerate and then down shifted really hard so I pulled over. It then showed on the dash “System Fault: Transmission Fault Service Now” I ended up needing a tow truck. This is NOT ok! It’s also apparently a common occurrence which means it should be recalled and fixed!

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Engine Malfunction - Service Immediately" was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was idling at a lower RPM. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing catastrophic engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin:19-2172; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

Flywheel detached and destroyed our engine and transmission while we were traveling 75 mph in traffic. We were nearly rear-ended and side-swiped due to immediate loss of power. A dealer inspected the vehicle and told us about the flywheel detachment. They referred us to Ford Customer Service, who said nothing could be done as we were a few thousand over the warranty. Repairs would cost 14,500. The transmission is 6F35, which has had several class action lawsuits due to its failure according to Internet sources. There was a clicking noise at idle but the car was running fine at that point. This may have been loose dowels that eventually detached.

MY 2018 Ford Escape Titanium has a engine malfunction that is known to Ford but has not been recalled. Their is a leak in the engine which causes coolant to leak. The long block engine needs to be replaced at a cost to me of $10,000. This cost was determined by the Ford dealership and I have included the invoice. This can cause complete engine failure without any warning.

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While her daughter was driving at a slow speed, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that coolant was leaking into cylinders #1 and #2, and the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and confirmed that there were no open recalls associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

I bought my 2018 for escape less than 2 years ago from carmax. I have 79,000 miles on it currently and have kept up with all the regular maintenance and upkeep. I had gotten an oil change and coolant flush in two days after this work had been completed. The check engine light came on and the code was read as an engine misfire. “VERIFIED THE CUSTOMER CONCERN OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. PULLED CODES AND FOUND CODE P0301 FOR A CYLINDER 1 MISFIRE. PULLED THE CYLINDER 1 COIL AND SPARK PLUG. FOUND NO CONCERNS WITH THE SPARK PLUG OR COIL. BOROSCOPED THE CYLINDER AND FOUND THAT CYLINDER 1 HAS COOLANT INTRUSION. FOUND TSB 22-2229 THAT STATES IF THIS CONDITION IS PRESENT THE LONG BLOCK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.” $10,246.06 is the estimated cost of repair from the dealership. Ford refuses to be held accountable because the car is over 7 years old and outside their warranty protection. There are hundreds of other complaints exactly like this from the research Ive done.